Inkjet recording apparatus and recording position adjustment method

Abstract

The present invention preferentially sets an adjustment value of a nozzle array having a deviation amount in a conveyance direction which exceeds a threshold amount, and sets the adjustment value in such a manner that the total of deviation amounts of a plurality of nozzle arrays can be minimized.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An inkjet recording apparatus configured to perform recording on a recording medium by a recording head, at which a plurality of nozzle arrays each discharging a different type of ink are arranged in a predetermined direction, to perform scanning in a scanning direction along with the predetermined direction while conveying the recording medium in a conveying direction which intersects the predetermined direction, the inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
 an acquisition unit configured to acquire information relating to a relative deviation amount of a recording position in the conveying direction among each of the plurality of nozzle arrays; and 
 a setting unit configured to set an adjustment amount for adjusting the recording position of the nozzle array of the plurality of nozzle arrays in the conveying direction based on the relative deviation amount indicated by the information acquired by the acquisition unit, 
 wherein the setting unit sets the adjustment amount for adjusting the recording position of a first nozzle array by using a predetermined nozzle array of the plurality of nozzle arrays as a reference for the adjusting and sets the adjustment amount for adjusting the recording position of a second nozzle array of the plurality of nozzle arrays based on the set adjustment amount of the first nozzle array. 
 
     
     
       2. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit comprises a generation unit configured to generate patterns with use of the plurality of nozzle arrays, and an optical detection unit configured to detect optical information of the plurality of patterns. 
     
     
       3. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the setting unit sets the adjustment value for minimizing the deviation amount at the plurality of positions in the conveying direction for all combinations of the nozzle arrays exceeding a threshold value. 
     
     
       4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires the information relating to the relative deviation amount of the recording position based on the relative deviation among each of the plurality of nozzle arrays at a plurality of positions in the scanning direction. 
     
     
       5. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the setting unit changes the adjustment value according to a recording range of the recording head in the scanning direction. 
     
     
       6. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the setting unit sets the adjustment amount for adjusting the recording position of the first nozzle array so that a deviation amount in recording position between the predetermined nozzle array and the first nozzle array is reduced, and sets the adjustment amount of the second nozzle array so that a deviation amount in recording position between the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array, in a case where the adjusting of the recording position of the first nozzle array has been performed with the set adjustment amount, is reduced. 
     
     
       7. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the setting unit sets the adjustment amount for adjusting the recording position of the first nozzle array and a third nozzle array of the plurality of nozzle arrays by using the predetermined nozzle array as a reference for the adjusting. 
     
     
       8. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the setting unit sets the adjustment amount for adjusting the recording position of the second nozzle array of the plurality of nozzle arrays based on the set adjustment amount of the first nozzle array and the third nozzle array. 
     
     
       9. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the setting unit sets the adjustment amount for adjusting the recording position of the first nozzle array and the third nozzle array by taking a predetermined length in a conveying direction as a unit for adjustment, such that the largest relative deviation between two nozzle arrays among the relative deviations between two arrays among the first array, third array and the predetermined nozzle array becomes smallest. 
     
     
       10. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the setting unit sets the adjustment amount for adjusting the recording position of a fourth nozzle array of the plurality of nozzle arrays based on the adjustment amount of the third nozzle array set by the setting unit. 
     
     
       11. An inkjet recording apparatus configured to perform recording on a recording medium by a recording head, at which a plurality of nozzle arrays each discharging a different type of ink are arranged in a predetermined direction, to perform scanning in a scanning direction along with the predetermined direction while conveying the recording medium in a conveying direction which intersects the predetermined direction, the inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
 an acquisition unit configured to acquire information relating to a relative deviation amount of a recording position in the conveying direction among each of the plurality of nozzle arrays; and 
 a setting unit configured to set an adjustment amount for adjusting the recording position of the nozzle array of the plurality of nozzle arrays in the conveying direction based on the relative deviation amount indicated by the information acquired by the acquisition unit, 
 wherein the setting unit sets the adjustment amount for adjusting the recording position of a first nozzle array by using a predetermined nozzle array of the plurality of nozzle arrays as a reference for the adjusting and sets the adjustment amount for adjusting the recording position of a second nozzle array of the plurality of nozzle arrays based on the set adjustment amount of the first nozzle array, 
 wherein the setting unit sets the adjustment amount for adjusting the recording position of the first nozzle array and a third nozzle array of the plurality of nozzle arrays by using the predetermined nozzle array as a reference for the adjusting, and 
 wherein the setting unit sets the adjustment amount for adjusting the recording position of the first nozzle array and the third nozzle array by taking a predetermined length in a conveying direction as a unit for adjustment, such that the largest relative deviation between two nozzle arrays among the relative deviations between two arrays among the first array, third array and the predetermined nozzle array becomes smallest. 
 
     
     
       12. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined nozzle array is a nozzle array for discharging black ink, the first nozzle array is a nozzle array for discharging cyan ink, and the second nozzle array is a nozzle array for discharging blue ink. 
     
     
       13. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the third nozzle array is a nozzle array for discharging magenta ink. 
     
     
       14. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the fourth nozzle array is a nozzle array for discharging red ink.